im glad my mom pinged this to me. im a 16 year old punk and republican. there are some extreme democrats and bush-bashers in my ap english class. i can't wait til we have our 'end of the year discussion day' monday. i know i can't change em, i've tried w/ others, doesn't work. maybe i'll impact some though. if anyone has some suggestions for me to use in our discussion, i am open to them.
"punk" has become mainstreamed. it has no true meaning in school hallways anymore. close your eyes and point and you can find a "punk." but keep in mind, not everything is what it seems.
You can search FR by clicking on the keywords (won't bring up every thread on a subject but generally it meant enough to somebody to help classify the issues contained within the article or thread body).
You can also search FR by using google (site:www.freerepublic.com abcd...) where abcd... is your search terms.
The best defense is a good offense. Many of us arrived at our opinions through our own observations. The more you read and experience, the more you will have to form your opinions. I've read the autobiographies of some people I didn't agree with politically (some of the books weren't entirely political, some were) so I got some of my "opposition research" directly from the horse's mouth.
Freedom of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression are principles our government was founded on. If your fellow classmates are going to tell you that it is "always wrong" to be a Republican then tell them they have just supported some conservatives claim that they oppose the American way (our constitution).
You have the right to be wrong (this is why we permit the open practice of communism and nazism). Even in the 1940s-1960s people openly joined communist organizations. When some of the rhetoric crosses from word to deed (tearing down the constitutional democratic republic, inciting violence) they do NOT have free speech protection (look up sedition; provoked violence; and yelling "fire" in a crowded theater).
A person may have the right to free speech but the defense department has an obligation to protect the government. Anything you may be used against you in a court of law.
The left likes to claim that the government infiltrated lefist organizations. Timothy Leary (LSU advocate/Harvard professor) acknowledge this. He also says that he could tell that these organizations were infiltrated by antiAmerican communists.
The KGB files bear out these operations.
We no longer face a threat from the Soviet Union but we still face a threat from global socialism. It is creeping into all governments. I hope we don't make the same mistake in our battle against Islamofascism. Both are ideologies we fight, they extend across borders.
Learn the worth of a man. It's not about a cliche of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps". It is about having respect for yourself (some girls tramp around because they think that giving sex will get them some love/attention). Look where you are in life. Have some dignity. Even Timothy Leary said that America was a free society where you could be whoever you wanted to be (not necessarily hold ANY profession you want). Some nations have a history of guilds and family traditions. Members of a class or race should not even try to better themselves. Some of these cultures believe in reincarnation (if life sucks this time around, maybe it will be better next time, no need to try to change things).
Don't surrender your individuality. It doesn't mean deliberately making yourself different, but you don't have to follow a herd (and that includes bowing to liberalism just because everyone else does).
Glad to help sweetie! :)